Google, Inc.

San Francisco -- Google made a quiet announcement on Friday that it is officially launching the pilot of its Google Shopping Express program, which features online delivery initially in the San Francisco Bay area.

In a notice on the company’s website, Google Shopping Express product management director Tom Fallows described the program as a “new experiment,” one that offers “a local delivery service that we hope will make it possible for you to get the items you order online the same day, and at a low cost."

Batavia, Ill. -- Survey results released Wednesday by Facebook marketing firm LoudDoor found that discount grocer Aldi USA ranked fifth on a list of the top 20 companies with the most loyal fans. No other grocery retailer was included on the list, which tracks every major brand on Facebook and how likely those brands' fans are to recommend them to friends or colleagues.

Other companies ranked in the top five include Google, Facebook and Walt Disney World.

San Jose, Calif. -- SLI Systems said Wednesday that Cache has implemented its full-service Learning Search solution for Cache.com, resulting in an 88% increase in the conversion rate among site search users.

The company, said SLI, has also seen a 42% increase in site search usage by its online visitors, driving more sales and revenues.
 

Toronto -- Canadian Tire has opened a digital development lab in Communitech, a start-up incubator that is home to some 100 startups and small businesses along with such “strategics” partner companies as Google Inc. and Intel Corp.
 
Communitech supports tech companies at all stages of their growth and development in the commercialization of innovative technologies.

New York -- Subway, Google, and Target, took the top three spots in “Social Currency Impact Study 2013” from global consulting firm Vivaldi Partners.

NEW YORK — Walmart was the only traditional retailer to be named to marketing firm Ipsos' Most Influential Brands of the United States list.

Amazon and Ebay also made the list, which included such companies as Apple, Facebook, Visa and Procter & Gamble. Topping the list was Google.

PHILADELPHIA — Monetate, a technology solution provider that allows online marketers to leverage Big Data to create personalized online customer experiences, has announced the addition of two senior executives to its leadership team. John Healy joined as chief operating officer and David Stetson was named chief financial officer. 

New York -- Google came out on top, followed by Amazon and Apple, in a new survey by market research company Ipsos called “The Most Influential Brands in the United States 2013.” The survey, which asked U.S. consumers to rate 100 leading brands on a wide variety of attributes, determined that the dimensions or factors that drive a brand’s influence are: engagement; trustworthy; leading edge; corporate citizenship; and, presence.